After a brief foot chase inside Westshore Town Centre, an off-duty officer was able to catch a suspect wanted on two outstanding warrants.

On Feb. 7 at approximately 2 p.m., an off-duty officer with the West Shore RCMP was in Langford at the shopping centre when he spotted a 39-year-old man, who was wanted on two outstanding warrants for property crime related offences on the West Shore and in Saanich.

The man, with no fixed address, has been evading police for some time to avoid arrest, according to the local detachment.

The officer attempted to phone an on-duty officer but the man became suspicious and started walking away. The off-duty officer identified himself as police and told the man he was under arrest.

The suspect immediately started running towards an exit.

The officer, who has a background in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, was able to apprehend the man after a brief struggle.

No one was injured during the incident.

“While it is uncommon for an off-duty officer to proceed with an arrest, it is a reminder that police officers are alert and always working even when off shift,” said Const. Nancy Saggar of the West Shore RCMP. “In his risk assessment, the off-duty officer judged that public safety was paramount and used his background skills to subdue the suspect effectively.”